Microsoft may have "Duet," its Office-based interface for SAP's ERP applications. But now IBM has IBM Workplace for SAP Software, a new version of Big Blue's premier collaboration platform designed specifically for SAP environments.

In late May, IBM announced Workplace for SAP, a new offering it describes as a pre-built, role-based work environment that integrates directly into an existing SAP implementation. Curiously, Workplace for SAP isn't confined to the popular German ERP system and can be used to access other back-end systems as part of a service oriented architecture, IBM says.

Ease-of-use is the primary driver for Workplace for SAP. With the bulk of the integration work handled behind the scenes, Workplace users are free to go about instant messaging, creating and distributing forms and dashboards, participating in a structured workflow, and getting real-time alerts of ERP events through their Workplace interface. Or in IBM's words: "It facilitates the creation of new types of user-centric work processes that help enhance productivity while lowering development costs."